Voter suppression of African-Americans has a long and sordid history in the United States. It began as backlash because of the economic and political power that Black people gained after the abolition of slavery during the Reconstruction era, which lasted from 1865 to 1877.
Since that time, Black people have had to continuously fight for the right to vote, with numerous laws being implemented to protect that right.
This began with the ratification of the 15th Amendment in 1870, which guaranteed that “the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.”
